Chapter 7: Relate –A New Way to Live Together

We’re going to go on a Picnic, everyone get in a circle…

•God is in the process of reclaiming, redeeming, and restoring what our broken little kingdoms have destroyed, and He’s doing it by guiding us into new, Christ-like ways of relating•When asked for the greatest commandment, Jesus gave two: (Matthew 22:34-40)•Also, “Dear friends let us love one another…” (1 John 4:7-12)

All About Relating

•If we are following God’s lead, listening and responding in new ways, we will learn how to truly love people, then we will fulfill the commandments of Scripture. Simple, right?•Read the letter from Steve, Page 105.•God wants to lead you into a freedom to fully be you –who he created you to be…Pay attention to how you treat those closest to you.

Poll by Barna: What do you want out of life?1. Health2. A Marriage that Lasts3. Integrity / Close, Personal Friends.So, with this information, this next study shouldn’t

be possibleGeorge Gallup: [Americans are the] “loneliest

people on the planet.”He says “ours is a crowded loneliness”We have lots of “friends” but don’t know how to

connect in life-giving ways.

Love –Not the Easy Thing

•When we reach out to others, things get in the way: jealousy, insecurities, fear of being rejected, indifference, busyness, annoying behaviors, etc…these all keep us from relating in powerful ways.•Let’s look at 4 new ways of relating that God’s Spirit will lead us in to:

We long to connect, but we are terrified of being hurt. We want deep relationships, but deep distrust keeps us relationally bankrupt.

1. Grace-Giving Acceptance:Come-As-You-Are Grace

•Read page 107 (Rembrandt)•Romans 15:5-7• How did Jesus accept us?• How should we accept others, love others?

In this unity, we will fully realize our potential as a body.

This morning, Pastor Tim showed that a Great Ministry is a Corporate Body

How about you, who do you need to treat more like a masterpiece?

•If you want to pretend to have no struggles, no problems, no sins, no wounds, then go play that game somewhere else, because that’s not real.•But, if we can agree to be authentic, then we can actually walk together, pray for each other, and help each other grow.•As much as our families and the chaos of a broken world wound us, God’s new family can restore and heal us!

2. Authentic Vulnerability

•Psychotherapy has its place, but there is something powerful happens when ordinary people simply confess their sins and struggles to God and to one another.•We all hold a mysterious power: the ability to either wound or heal one another.•Small groups of believers have been healing marriages and lives since time began.

3. Healing Confession

4. Speaking the Last 10-PercentSaying the Truth in Love

We often say most of the encouraging or hard-to-hear words, but for some reason, we hold back. We say 90%, but it is the last 10% that has the most power.Proverbs 27:6 says, “….”

Read page 115

How about you, who do you need to treat more like a masterpiece?